197. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the timeline for formally designating a facility (details supplied) as a permanent International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) facility;if such a designation will bring the facility under the statutory remit of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and other independent inspection bodies to ensure rigorous oversight of resident welfare and facility standards; the current inspection and safeguarding regime in place at the site while it operates as a processing location, following the significant State investment and doubling of staff at the International Protection Office (IPO); his views on the way permanent designation will address reported concerns regarding contractual boundaries and the duty of care owed to residents both within and outside the facility gates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38048/26]

The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration takes the welfare and wellbeing of all international protection applicants in our accommodation very seriously, and this commitment is reflected in the way services at the Citywest complex are structured and managed.

Medical care for residents is mainstreamed through the public health system on the same basis as all persons living in Ireland. Residents have access to GP services and primary care, and in the event of any medical emergency, standard emergency services are available and are called upon in the same manner as they would be for any member of the public, including where an incident arises outside the immediate perimeter of an accommodation centre.

Response to Incidents that arise in centres are defined and set out in IPAS policies, across a broad range from general minor incidents to those considered critical. Guidelines are in place for IPAS staff and department officials in relation to responding quickly to any incidents and taking action to ensure people are safe, including reporting to An Garda Síochána, the HSE, and other agencies where necessary.

All IPAS Accommodation Centres are subject to oversight arrangements through the Department's Centre Management and Compliance Team, and inspected either by HIQA, department officials, or by external inspectors commissioned by the department.

Across the wider network of IPAS Accommodation Centres, emergency accommodation centres are inspected by the department through officials or through an external contractor. 420 of these inspections were completed in 2025 and these reports are published regularly on gov.ie.

The inspections examine the quality of the accommodation services, looking at food quality, fire safety, appropriate signage and information for residents, the condition of communal areas and sleeping quarters and adherence to hygiene and other health and safety measures. Centres are inspected at intervals every year and all inspections are unannounced. These inspections also check on whether centres are fulfilling their overall contractual obligations.

Where any centre, following an inspection, has areas of partial or non-compliance identified, a bespoke compliance plan is agreed, noting the specific and time-bound measures which will be taken in order to ensure full compliance.